Chapter 05
“Miss, are you really going out like that?”
“I put in the effort to dress up like this on purpose, so of course.”
Jane had dressed Iva exactly the way Iva wanted, but she couldn’t understand her. That was because Iva was almost completely bare-faced.
She had applied only the slightest tint to her lips and a touch of blush—nothing else at all. She hadn’t even allowed Jane to brush her hair, leaving it as messy as it was when she had woken up.
And she had put on a dress so plain and outdated that it was well past its fashion expiry date—a dull brown one that she had always refused to wear, calling it “the peasant look.”
Of course, even in such a rustic dress and light makeup, her naturally pretty face still radiated cheer and vitality.
Going out like that wasn’t exactly a catastrophe, but Jane asked again because she knew Rye was waiting in front of the mansion.
“Isn’t this a date?”
“No. Absolutely must not turn into a date.”
Iva recalled the plans she had made the night before to ruin the date.
First: Wear a terrible dress! She’d make Rye mad by looking as though she hadn’t put in even an ounce of effort.
Second: Complain and grumble the entire time. She’d get on his nerves as much as possible.
Third: Abruptly return to the mansion. She had only agreed to meet him once, not to stay with him until the end.
“Heh heh, I’ll show him a completely sloppy, half-baked date.”
Iva was already looking forward to coming home after ruining it, feeling refreshed and eating dessert.
The two of them arrived at the classic “first date” spot: a restaurant, and sat facing each other.
“Here is your main course. If you need anything, please ring the bell.”
The waiter placed the dishes in front of them, bowed, and stepped away.
Rye immediately picked up his fork and knife, but Iva only fussed with the long sleeves of her dress.
“Is the dress uncomfortable?”
“…Pardon?”
“You keep adjusting the sleeves.”
“Oh… I didn’t know we’d be coming here, so my outfit feels a little out of place.”
The dress she had worn to make herself look bad was now making her feel deeply self-conscious.
When Rye said he had made a reservation, she thought it would be an ordinary restaurant. She never imagined it would be the most popular restaurant in the Beggen Agei Empire—booked solid until next year.
Iva herself had always wanted to visit this place.
Rye, dressed sharply in a teal suit, fit right in with the other well-dressed patrons, while she stood out as the lone person in a “peasant look” dress. It was a little embarrassing.
“I should have dressed up more.”
“You’re already cute enou—ah, never mind.”
Rye quickly looked down at his food, but the redness of his ears was obvious to Iva.
If you’re not going to say it, don’t start! She had already heard it all.
Uncomfortable with the awkward mood, Iva changed the subject.
“Th-this place takes a month to get a reservation, right? How did you manage it?”
“I know I shouldn’t have, but I used my position a little.”
“Your position?”
“The rank of Commander of the Imperial Guard is… rather useful.”
“I thought Your Grace would never use your position like that.”
Rye despised abusing power more than anything. The man who hated using his status for personal gain had used it just to get a restaurant reservation—it was surprising.
“I heard this restaurant was popular among nobles lately, so I hoped you would like it and asked for a favor. If you don’t, we can go somewhere else—”
“No, no. I like it too.”
Iva picked up her knife and fork and began eating. She cut into the main dish—meat—and as soon as she tasted it, it seemed to melt in her mouth.
“This is so good.”
The taste was so heavenly she forgot all about her “ruin the date” plan, letting out an involuntary sigh of delight. Seeing her smile, Rye also smiled faintly and began eating.
“Hm? You’re not eating the tomatoes?”
Rye’s hand froze mid-push as he tried to nudge the tomatoes aside with his knife.
“…I dislike the mushy texture.”
“So the Duke has foods he can’t eat too.”
“I have my likes and dislikes.”
“I thought you could eat anything.”
“I’m also not fond of plums or peaches. Same reason—they’re mushy.”
That was something never mentioned in the original novel she had memorized so well. She thought she knew Rye inside and out after three lifetimes, yet here was something she didn’t know.
It made her realize she’d only ever focused on his looks, not his inner self.
“Is there anything you dislike, My Lady?”
Rye’s careful tone was because he was thinking about her earlier words—that he had proposed without knowing her well—and he genuinely wanted to know her better.
“I like spicy more than greasy food. Like spicy tteokbokki.”
“Tteok…? What kind of dish is that? Which restaurant serves it?”
“Haha, probably nowhere in the Empire.”
“What an intriguing dish.”
Their first meal together ended in a surprisingly pleasant atmosphere, with bits of conversation in between bites.
Wait—hadn’t she just acted like it was a real date because the food was so good? Iva shook her head, reminding herself of the plan.
“Was the meal to your satisfaction?”
Rye asked as they stepped outside.
“Yes, it was really delicious.”
“Next, I thought we could—”
But before he could say what was next, Iva cut in. She wasn’t going to let the date go his way.
“Let’s lie down somewhere.”
“…Excuse me?”
“Let’s go somewhere quiet and lie down for a while.”
“R-right now?”
“Do you not want to?”
“It’s… not that I don’t…”
At the word “lie,” Rye’s face instantly flushed. His eyes darted, and he even bit his lip.
After a moment of internal struggle, he gave a small, resolute nod.
“Very well.”
“Good. I know just the place, so follow me.”
Rye felt uneasy about her claim that she knew a “good place,” but he followed in silence, still blushing.
“Nothing beats lying down and watching clouds on a sunny day.”
“….”
“What’s with that expression?”
“N-no, it’s nothing.”
The “good place” Iva led him to was a sunny park. Many people were lying on the grass napping or enjoying picnics.
“The weather’s so nice today—”
Her bright smile in the warm sunlight quickly chased away Rye’s… less wholesome thoughts.
“That spot over there looks nice. There’s a big tree and just enough shade.”
“If you wish, My Lady.”
They walked toward a slightly secluded area under a tree.
When Iva moved to sit directly on the grass, Rye pulled out a handkerchief to lay down for her.
“You should sit—”
“That’d ruin the whole point of coming to the park.”
Before he could finish, she flopped onto the grass like a mischievous child.
“The weather’s perfect.”
Even though his handkerchief was rejected, Rye didn’t mind. Seeing her smile made it worth it. He put the handkerchief away and sat a short distance from her.
The tree branches and leaves cast just enough dappled shade, and the gentle breeze made Iva clasp her hands behind her head and gaze at the blue sky, savoring the moment. Rye, too, felt himself relax and smile.
“It’s been a while since I felt this kind of peace.”
“Well, with your work—guarding the Prince, training subordinates, training yourself—you must be busy.”
“How do you know that?”
The answer popped out because she had memorized every detail of Rye’s backstory when he had been her favorite in the original novel. She hurried to cover it up by pretending to be dazzled by the sunlight and closing her eyes quickly.
“I… heard it. I know someone at the palace.”
“I see.”
For a moment, Rye hoped she might have personal interest in him, then felt a pang of disappointment.
“I’ll send back all the gifts you’ve given me by tomorrow.”
“…You didn’t like them?”
“I didn’t even open them.”
To make her words more convincing, she had come today without a single piece of jewelry.
“Even if you send them back, I won’t take them.”
“Yes. We’re not at that stage, are we?”
‘Are we that kind of relationship? I will not accept gifts.’
Funny how life worked out—she was now throwing his own past words back at him. She imagined his face looking as sulky as hers had been back then, though she didn’t bother checking.
“I will say, the dress was pretty. Your servant picked well.”
“That was me.”
“…What?”
“I picked it.”
Iva’s eyes flew open, only to be stabbed by the sunlight, making her squeeze them shut again.
“If it’s a gift from me, how could I have a servant choose it?”
In her mind flashed all the jewels and dresses she had ever received.
“That was the first dress or bracelet I ever bought. I didn’t even buy them for my mother.”
His mother had died early, leaving Rye with only his father—the previous Guard Commander—and a sickly older brother.
As the second son, Rye had been determined to inherit the family name in his brother’s place and hated being looked down on for his birth order, so he had thrown himself into training with single-minded focus.
Women had always been the last priority in his life. That he had personally bought her something was… unexpected. Even the heroine, Julian, had never received such a gift from him.
“Even so, I can’t accept it. I’ll send it back.”
“Very well. But I’d like to have dinner with you tonight instead.”
His persistence in finding an excuse to spend more time with her made Iva chuckle dryly.
So he was this good at negotiating? Well, it’s not like they’d ever really talked before.
Iva opened her eyes to refuse the dinner—
“….”
—and froze.
Rye was watching her intently, clearly nervous for her answer. One of his hands was shielding her eyes from the sunlight, his fingers tensed as if to make sure not a single ray slipped through.
She had met him today to break things off, but his unexpected gentleness made her heart stir in an inconvenient way.
Iva quickly sat up. She needed to cut this off before it grew into something that could lead her back to her doomed fate.
“Would it be alright if I answered your confession now?”
“…Now?”
“I think I need to. No—I have to.”
Her tone was firm.
Rye straightened his posture, taken aback but ready to listen closely to what she had to say.
